Two years ago Nova High School began to use interactive computer instruction in three academic subjects.

Argument:

Two years ago Nova High School began to use interactive computer instruction in three academic subjects.  The school dropout rate declined immediately, and last year's graduates have reported some impressive achievements in college.  In future budgets the school board should use a greater portion of the available funds to buy more computers, and all schools in the district should adopt interactive computer instruction throughout the curriculum.  

Question:

Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and use the evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refuse the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion. 

Answer:

This arguments states that since interactive computer instruction contributed to decrease dropout rate at Nova High School, more budgets should be allocated to interactive computer instruction, and other schools should also have it.  This conclusion is based on the premise that interactive computer instruction has a most part of role to decline the dropout rate.  However, there are several assumptions that may not necessarily apply to this argument.  For example, dropout rate at Nova High School gained less number because of interactive computer instruction.  Also, the author does not explain how much of dropout rate was decreased and how many students were enrolled to interactive computer instructions.  Without clarifying those assumptions, the statement is not convincing. 

The first issue to be addressed is whether only interactive computer instructions had a function in which dropout rate was declined.  Generally speaking, students leave their schools in various reasons; for example, they cannot afford tuition anymore or find other dreams that they pursue.  The author considers only the computers as a factor of declined rate of dropout. 

The argument also relies on the idea that dropout rate at Nova High School was declined without any specific number.  The author must states how many more students were not to leave Nova High School than those of before the computer instruction had been introduced.  For instance, the author might point dropout rate declined 0.1% from 1.1% of all students thus there is 1.0% of students who drop out.  Such small decrease can be fluctuated by casual factors such as depressed economy.  The author must argue how many or how much more percentage of students was to stay at the school after interactive computer instructions started.  

Finally, the author must show how many computers were attended in interactive computer instructions.  Most students must be enrolled in this computer class if the author assumes the instruction has a major role of declined number of dropout rate.  Only a small number of students involved in interactive computer instructions cannot be an enough support to argue the instructions are effective to decrease dropout rate. 

In conclusion, while it seems reasonable that interactive computer instructions should have introduced to other schools and be allocated more budgets because of less dropout rate at Nova High School compared to before the computer is started, the statement is not convincing enough.  The author must consider whether there is any other factor declining dropout rate, specific dropout rate, and how many students were enrolled in interactive computer instructions thus the argument would be sounder.